Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Department expects all those eligible under the financial assistance scheme to have received payment; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: Members do not generally receive payments until they are 65. With the extension of he financial assistance scheme to members of qualifying schemes who were within five years of their scheme pension age on 14 May 2004, all eligible members with scheme pension ages of 65 should have received their first payment by May 2019, while all of those with scheme pension ages of 60 should have received their first payment by May 2024.